Pokémon still not for home consoles

A home console Pokémon game is something that a large number of players have been clamoring for, and while there have been games for home consoles, they’ve always been spin-off titles that were wildly different to their handheld cousins. And, unfortunately, it doesn’t look like that dream will come true anytime soon.

In an interview with Kotaku, series director Junichi Masuda explained why he felt that the series was best suited to the handhelds.

“There are different types of people out there – people who want to play at home at their own pace and really just enjoy the world, and people who want to play with other players, meet them in real life. What I’ve always said about the reason we put Pokémon on the handheld systems is that a handheld system allows you to do both. You can play at your own pace at home, but you can also go out and meet with other people, and I like to think that the power of Pokémon is the power of communication. Pokémon brings people together, and I really like that element, which is why we continue to put them out on handhelds.”

This sense of community has been around since the series’ inception. Anyone with an original GameBoy remembers using the Link Cable to trade Pokémon with their friends, and with the recent online additions, trainers all over the world can give each other Pokémon with perfect EVs or sought out Shinies.

But Masuda has heard the cries of fans who want a home console game: “There are a lot of people who want a home console version, we know. Especially now with internet features that let people battle and trade. But the way that handhelds allow people to come together… if we could figure out a way to make that happen on consoles it would be an option on the future, but right now that’s just not possible.”

So, while not a complete dismissal, you shouldn’t hold your breath for a fully fledged Pokémon for Wii U anytime soon, though you can still look forward to the upcoming arcade fighter Pokkén Tournament. And if you want to read the full interview, check out the link at the bottom of the page.

About The Author

Michael Beckwith is a graduate from Brunel University where he studied Computer Games Design and Creative Writing. He has denied rumours that he chose these subjects so he had an excuse to play video...
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